[Watch] “I don’t agree” – Michael Vaughan criticizes Mohammad Hafeez, backs Jos Buttler for wanting ‘IPL window free of internationals’
Former England captain Michael Vaughan has told erstwhile Pakistan skipper Mohammad Hafeez that he will continue to back Jos Buttler, who asked that the Indian Premier League (IPL) should be free of internationals. Vaughan stressed that the T20 extravaganza offers financial benefits to the players, adding that the cricket boards aren’t powerful enough to compete with the IPL, the world's richest T20 league.
The reaction came as Hafeez reckoned that international cricket should be given priority over league cricket. Hafeez added that in such scenarios all T20 leagues, including the Pakistan Super League (PSL) should be given equal importance, unlike preferential treatment to the IPL.
Sharing a clip of his conversation with Hafeez and Adam Gilchirst, Vaughan wrote on X:
“Strong from @MHafeez22 but I don’t agree .. I totally understand players wanting the IPL window free of internationals ..”
Watch the video below:
Last month, Vaughan had said that England players would’ve better prepared by playing IPL playoffs instead of the T20I series against Pakistan. He said:
“England missed the trick by sending all their players home. Playing in the IPL, in the eliminations, pressure, crowd, and expectations, I would argue that playing here is better preparation than playing a T20 game against Pakistan.
"I think they would have been better prepared staying here, playing the IPL, than playing back to the Headingley to play a game," Vaughan added.
England captain Jos Buttler, Phil Salt, and Will Jacks had missed the IPL 2024 playoffs for Rajasthan Royals (RR), Kolkata Knight Riders, and Royal Challengers Bengaluru, respectively.
“There should never be any international cricket that clashes with IPL” – Jos Buttler
Last month, Jos Buttler said that international cricket shouldn’t clash with the IPL as he missed the playoff due to a bilateral T20I series against England at home ahead of the 2024 T20 World Cup. Buttler told SkySports:
“In my personal opinion, there should never be any international cricket that clashes with IPL. In my personal opinion, there should never be any international cricket that clashes with IPL.”
Only two out of four T20Is were possible due to rain in the series between England and Pakistan. The Jos Buttler-led side won the series 2-0. His absence hurt RR as they failed to qualify for the final, losing to SunRisers Hyderabad (SRH) in Qualifier 2.